Sinclair Automotive Technology Program Named School of the Year

October 25, 2013 - Sinclair Community College has been named the 2013 Technical School of the Year by Tomorrow's Tech magazine and WIX® Filters. The award was presented Friday, October 25 during a ceremony at Sinclair's Building 20 for students and instructors of the college's Automotive Technology program.

Sinclair is the sixth recipient of the annual program to find and name the best automotive technician training school in the country. WIX and O'Reilly Auto Parts are title sponsors of the national award in conjunction with Tomorrow's Tech, a Babcox Media publication dedicated to automotive students.

"As a longtime supporter of technician education, it is encouraging to see schools like Sinclair Community College focused on student outcomes that benefit an entire industry," said Mike Harvey, brand manager for WIX Filters." The School of the Year program is a great opportunity for technical schools nationwide to gain exposure for their programs and recognition for their efforts in training the next generation of highly skilled technicians."

As the 2013 School of the Year, Sinclair's automotive program received $2,500 from WIX Filters; professional automotive tool set and $250 from O'Reilly Auto Parts; and O'Reilly and WIX Filters merchandise. In addition, the school's instructor will attend a Babcox Media recognition dinner at the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) in November."

I receive phone calls every week from dealers, manufacturers and the aftermarket industry in search of technicians trained in the advanced technologies required to service today's high-tech, complex vehicle systems," said Justin Morgan, chair of the Automotive Technology department."

Hybrid and alternative fuel systems require a different way of thinking and that's where the automotive training program at Sinclair excels," he said. "We provide hands-on, certified automotive training designed to ensure skilled entry-level positions with a high-paying career path. There is a very bright future ahead for the next generation of automotive technicians and we are very humbled that our efforts in this area have been recognized by the national School of the Year program."

The School of the Year program is open to all high schools and post-secondary schools that have a subscription to Tomorrow's Tech magazine. Of the 158 entries for the 2013 contest, 60 were from different high schools, technical schools and colleges in four geographic regions of the United States.Twenty schools were asked to submit a video highlighting their technical programs. Judges selected the four finalists from the video entries, including Sinclair as School of the Year.